Review:

But today, the average Joe can buy a big screen rear projector TV that decodes the digital HD or DVD signal and presents a very film-like image - all for a couple of thousand dollars. There are limits to the screen size - Mitsubishi makes a 72" monster, but in a living room setting, the typical 65" RPTV is well suited.

But what about the movie lover who wants a 'bigger' experience - a front projector with a 100" diagonal screen in a dedicated room? Yes, you can still spend $100,000+ on CRT front projector setups with 9" guns and pro video processors. But today, with the advent of digital projectors using DLP, LCD or LCOS technology, costs to produce a film-like image on a 100" diagonal screen are under $20,000. This is still a high price for many folks, myself included. Oh, there are cheap LCD/DLP projectors around, but the trade-off in picture quality is very steep.

But, as of September 1st, this has changed! Sanyo/Boxlight has released a new LCD projector that provides one of the best pictures for a digital-based projector at any price, and it can be had for under $6000! I know, I've installed the Boxlight 20HD in my theater, and I'm thrilled! THIS IS BIG FOLKS! Read on....

Sanyo PLV-70/Boxlight 20HD

The Sanyo PVL-70, and its clone, the 20HD sold by Boxlight (Studio Experience), is a WXGA class machine, featuring three 1366 x 768 widescreen format LCD panels with microlens array. It is rated at 2200 ANSI lumens, making it the brightest projector yet introduced for dedicated home theater use. Unusual for a LCD-based projector, it has a 900:1 contrast ratio, equal to most of the highly rated DLP projectors. It's native output is 720p, and the internal scaler does an excellent job of scaling 480p/1080i to the native resolution. There are three sets of inputs. Input One includes both 15-pin VGA for RGB analog, and a DVI port. Input Two consists of 5 BNCs for computer RGB, HDTV, and component video sources. Input Three consists of 3 RCA jacks for component input and an S-video port.

The PLV-70/20HD has a power zoom and focus lens. Unlike most home theater projectors, the PLV-70 also has a motorized vertical lens shift that provides for easy and flexible installation. This lets you adjust the position of the projected image relative to the projector. Bottom line folks, this is a very easy projector to install and configure. I purchased a ceiling mount, and at 17 lbs and 17" long, I am unaware of it's presence. The fan is quiet, less than 35db, so a hushbox is not needed.

Outstanding Picture Qualities

Out of the box, this projector delivers a bight, colorful, highly detailed picture. Because of the brightness of the projector, I highly recommend a smooth gray screen with no optical coating or gain. This will help produce deep inky blacks that are very satisfying for the discriminating viewer. No, this projector is not capable of producing CRT-type black levels, but no digital 'bulb' projector can at this time. Nevertheless, the projector has a wide dynamic range and for me the 'black issue' is moot.

Colors are simply spectacular with this unit. Full, dynamic, realistic. Once calibrated, flesh tones are on the mark. I have yet to see a 1 chip DLP projector that can compare to the bright, colorful picture produced by this projector. The projector can resolve the full detail of a well mastered DVD, and is no slouch with HD signals. Compared to the two Mitsubishi 65" RPTVs I've owned, I'm seeing a deeper level of detail, with no additional EE or ringing. Some of the Superbit DVD tiles I've watched are equal to HD broadcasts of movies. AWESOME!

Digital Projection Trade-offs

All digital projectors have areas of weakness. The 1 chip DLP projectors are known for the 'rainbow effect.' This effect is caused by the spinning color wheel, and for some folks, myself included, can be very distracting. Supposedly, a new design of the color wheel will help to lessen this effect, but the only real solution is a reasonably priced 3 chip design, which is years away from production. As for LCD/LCOS projectors, very bright scenes with wide pans of the camera produce a vertical graininess, due in part to the way LCDs sequence scanning via columns of pixels. I have a far greater tolerance for this defect than the headache-producing rainbows caused by dancing mirrors and spinning wheels.

And then there are two issues that the CRT bigots love to point out: poor black levels and the screendoor effect (SDE). I've already discussed above that this projector does a very good job of producting good blacks - this is actually becoming less of an issue for digital projectors as contrast ratios reach 1000:1 and above. The SDE happens because of the pixel stucture of DLP/LCD/LCOS chips - up close to the screen, one can clearly see the pixels, and LCDs in the past have had a very noticeable SDE even at typical seating distance from the screen. The introduction of WXGA resolution and the microlens array (each pixel has a lens to focus light) has greatly lessened the SDE and increased lumens output. The result is that I cannot see any SDE from my seating area - the picture is smooth and bright.

Calibration

All projectors need some level of calibration - particularly CRTs. The 20HD has a plethora of user controls to help dial in a beautiful picture, the most exciting of which is the Color Management system. Using this simple grapical system and the AVIA color bars, I'm able to remove every last bit of red push and touch up the gamma as well. This new control system sets a new standard for color management - I've only seen something like it in Photoshop. AWESOME. Still, one must access the service menu to dial in a flat accurate grayscale. BTW, the service menu has over 3000 settings in 30 groupings. Paul Carleton would never see the light of day again....

Bottom Line - VALUE!

I have enjoyed HD in my home since December 1998, and I consider myself knowledgeable on the subject of home theater. I have attended both CES in Las Vegas and the Home Theater Show in NYC. I have seen the best and worst of current display technology, in all formats. I've learned about calibration, ISF, red push, EE and all the other stuff one must deal with to create that "movie house experience." And today, I can emphatically state that the PLV-70/20-HD provides the best value in a front projector today. PERIOD. The tradeoffs are few, the price is right, and the picture is stunning. My highest recommendation!

Features:

*Native Resolution: 1366 x 768 Wide XGA
*Brightness: 2200 Lumens
*Contrast Ratio: 900:1
*Inputs RGB, BNCx5, DVI, RCA Component, 2 Composite Video, 1 S-Video